Alternative Comics needs YOU

[OftenK]

Alternative Comics, publisher of Hickee and other quality titles, needs your help.

Go buy some books. Reading is good for your brain.

[Chris]

Buy their crap, guys! Buy it now!

[MrHoatzin]

Buy their crap, guys! Buy it now!

[Salka]

:D

This is the best thread ever.

[Chris]

I just picked up three Alternative Comics books: Hickee 1, 8 1/2 Ghosts, and Strum and Drang: Great Moments in Rock 'n' Roll.

[Jake]

I bought two Hickees and a Grickle and may buy more if Chris tells me I should.

[Chris]

In theory, you should wait until you've read the first Grickle to decide if you want the second, but I will tell you right now that Further Grickle is even better than Grickle, so you should buy it with all haste. It's great.

[toblix]

Are these even better than Andy Capp?

I'll probably buy some when I get the money to.

[Marek]

How does it compare to say Double Fine Action Comics? Those are often hit-and-miss, but when they hit (every tenth comic for Scott, more frequently for Raz) they hit hard. What should I expect from Grickle and/or Hickee?

[Chris]

I'd say Hickee is roughly the same as DFAC in terms of hit-or-missability. My favorite contributor to Hickee by far is Nathan, and I actually like Raz more in Hickee than in DFAC. Scott doesn't contribute much (perhaps because he was so busy with Psychonauts at the time?). There are several strips credited to "The Hickee gang", but they tend to be the weaker ones.

ON THE OTHER HAND, Graham Annable's Grickle is stupendously consistent and completely awesome. The second book, Further Grickle, is even more awesome. I highly recommend them. It turns out Annable's picked up several awards and nominations for this stuff (Hickee's gotten a few nods as well), including things like "Best Unknown Bay Area Cartoonist", so that's nifty. He made an appearance at my local comic book shop a couple weeks ago but seeing as I'm not actually in the bay area at the moment I couldn't check it out. Curses!

[OftenK]

I'd say Hickee is roughly the same as DFAC in terms of hit-or-missability. My favorite contributor to Hickee by far is Nathan, and I actually like Raz more in Hickee than in DFAC. Scott doesn't contribute much (perhaps because he was so busy with Psychonauts at the time?). There are several strips credited to "The Hickee gang", but they tend to be the weaker ones.

I think my favorite would be Chicken Pool by Derek Sakai. The owl makes me laugh.

Also, I just bought Grickle, and it has begun its great journey to my home. I will wait until I read that before deciding to get Further Grickle.

[Simon]

I've got the first Hickee book, and I recommend it to anyone here who frequently enjoys DFAC and doesn't have it yet. Some may find it patchy, but even then, it is lovably patchy. I think Raz and Nathan are both way better in this Hickee than on DFAC actually. The cartoonists that were new to me were all great as well - Joe White's work is gorgeous, for example. Only thing is I wish there was more Scott, he only has two stories, though great they are. Very cool book overall.

Grickle is great too - still funny, but more thoughtful. Most of the stuff is far removed from the DFAC brand of humour, but it's hard to see what's not to like. Haven't read Further Grickle yet, and Graham has a new book, Stickleback, coming out soon I think.

Buy these books, and keep your fingers crossed for Alternative Comics. Hooray for comics!

[Chris]

Stickleback is coming in November I believe, and I think it's an actual graphic novel. If so, Praise Be!